Based in one of our offices in Birmingham, Cambridge, Leeds, London, Manchester or Norwich, you'll complete six seats over two years and have the opportunity to experience a seat in another of our offices. At present, we don't offer a seat in our Oxford office.
Some of you may already have an idea about what area you want to specialise in but with our six-seat programme (each four months long) we give you the opportunity to try all types of law. And not just whether you want to work in commercial or private client, but also a chance to work in our specialist sectors too. In one seat, you may be advising a football club on a new transfer and in another advising on a new patent.
We work across 14 specialist sectors, including family, health and care and technology. So that means that you get to work alongside genuine experts in their field, that understand not only the law, but also the market they work in. This gives you experience that will turn you from a good lawyer into a great one.
Of course, development is key during your training contract. We'll pair you with a partner who'll act as a mentor during the two years, offering confidential support and career development advice. On-the-job learning is supported by our professional skills course and a programme of in-house lectures and one-to-one training.
From the start of your first seat, you'll play an important part in the work of the department. This doesn’t mean you're abandoned or unsupported; neither does it mean you only do basic jobs. What it does mean is that we'll value your knowledge and skills and help you to develop them in the context of real cases. Client meetings, drafting, project planning, court attendance – these will all be part of your daily work.
Your performance will be assessed by a mix of informal feedback and a more formal review at the end of each seat.
